Lincoln Pac '08

Su Parque en Perú
Solidarity in Action (Solidaridad en Marcha) welcomed participants to Peru to work alongside local children to refurbish playgrounds in the shantytowns of Lima.

I find the term "poverty" to be very ambiguous - into it is thrown an immense variety of human experience, not all of which is tragic and hopeless. My time in the shanty towns of Lima was an experience in contrasts. The deplorable state of living conditions served as a backdrop to the resilience of spirit and joy for life I observed in many of the people, especially the children. The ecstatic cries of the kids demanding that I carry them, "cárgame, cárgame!" still reverberate in my head, reminding me that happiness can thrive on a hillside of little more that rock and sand. Comparing this environment to life at Bowdoin, I see that we must first feel grateful for our wealth of opportunity and then be responsible in sharing our gifts with others.
- Lincoln Pac '08